Mining machine feeding mechanism



'Se t.27,19ss. J. F. 1OY ET AL 2,131,

MINING MACHINE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed March 30, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 mJ;; {ZZ -Wynn? f z a 5041162 26.

Sept. 27, 1938. J. F. JOY ET AL 2,131,179

MINING MACHINE FEEDING MECHANISM Sept. 27, 1938. J. F. JOY Er AL2,131,179

MINING MACHINE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed March 30, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Sept, 27, 1938. J. F. JOY E'r AL 2,131,179

MINING MACHINE FEEDING LJGI'IANISM Filed March 30, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 499 F .2 49 fld/ 9. J 410 56 m I1 [1 "I It "III I fi W n I 9 5? t: n 45 i1' J0 0' W 1]] im WWW i 0Y7 6g Patented Sept. 2 7, 1938 PATENT OFFICEMINING MACHINE. FEEDING MECHANISM Joseph F. Joy and Cornelius G.Boudette, Claremont, N. H., assignors to Sullivan Machinery Company, acorporation of Massachusetts Application March-'30 1936, Serial No.71,655

Glaims. (c1. 262-30) This invention relates to mining machines, andmoreparticularly to improvements in the feeding mechanism of a coal miningmachine of the flexibly fed, floor cutter type; 7

An object of this invention is to providean improved feeding mechanismfor a coal mining-machine. Another object is to provide an improvedflexible feeding means for a coal mining machine of the flexibly fed,floor cutter type. Another object is to provide an improved feedingmechanism for a coal mining machine wherein relatively rotatable feedoperating and'controlling members respectively cooperating with flexiblefeeding and controlling elements, areemployed for feeding 16 and guidingthe machine. Still another object is to provide an improved miningmachine transmission mechanism wherein the feed operating andcontrolling members are driven at a plurality of speeds under frictionalcontrol at either speed. -A still further object is to provide animproved mining machine feeding mechanism wherein a separate pluralspeed transmission mechanism is employed for driving each of the feedoperating and controlling members whereby the said mem- '5: bers may beindependently driven at either high or low speeds. A still furtherobject is to provide an improved arrangement of the feed operating andcontrolling members and their driving mechanism whereby an extremelycompact 3m feeding structure is obtained. Other objects and advantagesof the invention will. however, hereinafter more fully appear. In theaccompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration oneformwhich the -5 invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings, Fig. l is a plan view of a coal mining machine havingembodied therein the illustrative form of the improved feedingmechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the-mining machine shownin Fig. 1. r

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in longitudinal sec tion taken substantiallyon line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in longitudinai sec--5 tion taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 1-.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially online 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view takensubstantially on line1-1 of Fig. '1.

Fig. 8 is a detail vertical sectional view taken substantially on line8-8 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. Qis a diagrammatic view showing the min- 55- ing machine cuttingfrom right to -left inaccordance with the room and pillar system ofmining.

Fig. 10' is a diagrammatic view showing the mining machine cutting fromleft to right in accordance with the room and pillar system of mining.

In this illustrative embodiment of the invention the improved feedingmechanism is shown embodied in a coal mining machine of the flexiblyfed, room and pillar, floor cutter type,-although it will be evidentthat various features of the in-' vention may be incorporated in coalmining machines of various other typesf v The mining machine generallycomprises a machine frame I supported on a bottom skid plate 2 having aplane bottom surface 3 and adapted to rest upon and slide in anydirection over the mine floor. The machine frame comprises a centralmotor frame section 4, a front" cutter frame section 5 and a rear feedframe section 6,.the motor frame section being arranged centrallybetween the cutter and feed frame sections in the manner shown inFigs. 1. and 2. Formed integrally with the front cutter frame section 5is a hanger l supporting a horizontal plane cutter bar 8 about themargin of which an endless cutter chain 9 is adapted to be cir-'culated. Arranged within the motor frame section 4 is a motor, hereinpreferably of the reversible electric type,'having its power shaft l0horizontally' disposed. and extendinglongitudinally of the machine.Keyed to the forward end of the motor power shaft is a bevel gear Hmeshing with a horizontal bevel gear l2 herein formed integral with avertical shaft l3; This shaft is journaled' at its upper end within aball bearing supported within a detachable cover plate M of the cutterframe section and at its lower end in a ballbearing seated within therecessed'lowe'r face of the bevel gear l2 and supported on a verticalstub shaft l5 secured within a vertical bore l6 formed in the cutterframe section. Keyed to the shaft I3' and arranged above the bevel gearI2 is a spur gear I"! meshing with a largespur gear l8 arranged forrotation about a verticalaxis. The hub of the spur gear 18 is journaledon bearing sleeves l9 supported by a sleeve 20 formed integral with aclutch member 2| keyed to a vertical cutter. chain drive shaft 22,herein arranged with its axis coincident with the axis of rotation of'.the spur gear 18. The hub of the spur gear l8" has clutch teeth 23connectible by a sliding clutch member '24 with clutch teeth 25 formedintegralwith the clutch element 2i; Engaging the clutch member 24 is ashipper yoke'ZB keyed to a transverse operating shaft 2! mounted in thecutter frame section and having an operating handle 28 convenientlylocated on the exterior of the cutter frame section, as shown in Figs. 1and 2. When the clutch teeth 23 on the spur gear I8 are connected by theclutch member 24 with the clutch teeth on the clutch member 2|, thevertical shaft 22 may be driven by the spur gear l8. The upper end ofthe shaft 22 is journaled within a ball bearing supported within thecover plate l4 and near its lower end within a roller bearing supportedwithin a cylindrical bearing hub 29 formed integral with the cutterframe section. Keyed to the lower end of the shaft 22 is a chainsprocket 3*!) which engages and drives the endless cutter chain 9. Itwill thus be seen that when the clutch 24 is connected, the cutter chainmay be rapidly circulated about the margin of the cutter bar by themotor through the bevel gearing 2, spur gearing l1 and I8 and thevertical cutter chain drive shaft 22.

Now referring to the improved feeding mechanism. it will be noted thatkeyed to the rear end of the motor power shaft I6 is the hub 34 of aspur motor pinion 35. This motor pinion meshes with and drives in thesame direction spur gears 36 and 31 each having a hub 38 ,journaled in aball bearing supported within the feed frame section 6. These spur gearsare arranged in parallel relation on horizontal axes extendinglongitudinally of the machine and spaced equi-distantly from thelongitudinal center of the machine. The spur gears 36 and 31 areconnectible by multiple disc clutches 39 and 40, of a usual design,respectively to shafts 4| and 42, these shafts arranged coaxially withthe spur gears and herein tubular in form. The shafts 4| and 42 aresuitably journaled within ball bearings supported within the feed framesection and have formed integral therewith worms 43 and 44,respectively, preferably having teeth of the same pitch and inclinationand respectively meshing with worm wheels 45 and 46. These worm wheelsare arranged on vertical axes at the outer sides of the worms in meshwith the latter in the manner shown in Figs. 5 and 7, and areconnectible by multiple disc clutches 41 and 48, of a usual design,respectively to vertical shafts 49 and 50, herein arranged coaxiallywith the worm wheels. Each of these worm wheels is provided with anupper hub 5| journaled in a ball bearing supported within a detachablecover plate 52 of the feed frame section and a lower hub 53 journaled ina ball bearing suitably supported within the feed frame, and thevertical shafts are preferably journaled within these worm wheel hubs.Each of these disc clutches 41 and 48 is operated by means of a screw 54threaded centrally within the upper end of the vertical shaft andengaging at its lower end a member 55 in turn engaging levers 56. Theselevers are engageable with. the lower pressure plate 57 of the clutch.Fixed to the upper end of the screw shaft is a hand wheel 58. When thescrew shaft is rotated to move the member 55 downwardly, the levers 55are swung about their pivots to move the pressure plate 51 upwardly tocompress the clutch discs, thereby to apply the clutch. Fixed to thelower ends of the vertical shafts 49 and 50 are spur gears 60 and 6|respectively meshing with large internal gears 62 and 63 formed withinfeed operating and controlling members 64 and 65 respectively. Thesefeed operating and controlling members are herein in the form of cablewinding or haulage drums having respectively wound thereon feeding andcontrolling cables 66 and 67. These cable Winding drums are disposed onvertical axes parallel with the axes of the vertical shafts 49 and 50and arranged in horizontal planes within a transverse chamber 68 formedWithin the lower portion of the feed frame section, the outer sides ofthe feed drums projecting laterally from the outer vertical side wallsof the feed frame. Formed integral with the feed frame are semi-circularflange-like portions 69 forming closures for the upper sides of thedrums, thereby to prevent access of dirt to the internal drum gears.Each of the'drums 64, 65 has a hub 18 journaled on a bearing sleeve Hsupported by an eccentric shaft portion 12 integral with a verticalshaft 73. The shaft 13 is journaled within bearing sleeves l4, 14supported within the feed frame section and has pivotally connectedthereto, at its upper end at 15, a lever 16. When the shaft 13 isrotated by the lever 18, the eccentric shaft portion 12 moves the drumabout the axis of the shaft 13 tomove the teeth of the internal drumgear outof mesh with the spur driving gear, thereby to disconnect thedrum from its drive.

Again referring to Figs. 5 and '7, it will be noted that the hubs 38 ofthe spur gears 36 and 3'! are keyed to shafts 18 and I9 herein extendingcentrally through the tubular shafts 4| and 42 respectively. Fixed tothe rear end of the shaft 18 is a spur gear 88 meshing with a spur gear8| keyed to a longitudinally extending shaft 82 herein arranged parallelwith the shaft 78. The shafts l8 and 82 are suitably journaled withinball bearings supported within the feed frame section, and the forwardend of the shaft 82- terminates in a spur gear 83 meshing with spurgears 84 and 85 for driving the latter in the same direction. The spurgears 84 and 85 are arranged coaxially with the spur gears 36 and 3'!respectively, and are each provided with a hub 86 journaled within ballbearings supported within the feed frame section, the shafts 18 and 19extending centrally through the spur gear hubs, as clearly shown in Fig.5. The spur gears 84 and 85 are connectible by multiple disc clutches 81and 88, of a usual design, respectively to the tubular shafts 4| and 42.The spur gears 36 and 3'! herein constitute the terminal high speeddriving elements of the high speed transmissions, while the spur gears84 and 85 constitute the low speed terminal driving elements of the lowspeed transmissions. The operating means for the disc clutches 39, 48,and 81, 88, in this instance, comprises clutch applying rings 90supported on ball bearings 9| slidably mounted on the shafts 4| and 42.Engaging each of these clutch applying rings is a shipper yoke 92pivotally mounted at 93 and engaging at 94 the adjacent plane surface ofthe clutch applying ring. The upper extremities of the clutch shipperyokes are bifurcated at 95 for engagement with the slotted ends of anaxially reciprocable operating shaft 96. These operating shafts 96 aremoved axially by means of operating levers 91 and 98, each having aprojection 99 engaged within a transverse slot formed in the shaft 96.The lever 91 operates the clutch applying rings for the disc clutches 39and 81, while the lever 98 operates the clutch applying rings for theclutches 40 and 88. It will thus be seen that upon application of thehigh speed clutches 39 and 4D controlling the connection ofthe highspeed terminal driving gears 36 and 3'! with the shafts M and 42; thecable winding drums may be driven in relatively opposite directions towind in. their respective cables at a relatively high speed, and whenthe high speed clutches 39 and 40 are released and the low speedclutches 81 and 88 are applied, the cable winding drums may be driventhrough the low speed terminal gears 84 and 85 in relatively oppositedirections to wind in the cables at a relatively low speed. i

For guiding the feeding and controlling-cables 66 and 61' with respectto the cable winding drums I there are arranged at the opposite sides ofthe machine frame in advance of the drums, horizontal guide sheaves I00and MI, while arranged 2& the lugs I06, I01 to provide a horizontalpivotal mounting for the hanger.

The machine is preferably transported over considerabledistances'wi-thi-nthe mine by being carried on an ordinary mine truckwhich moves on the usual track rails laid in various passages of themine. Such a truck forms no part of the present invention, other thanits association with the driving means on the machine by which the truckis propelled. Referring again to Fig. 5, it will be noted that keyed tothe rear end of the shaft 79 is the hub I I0 of atruck driving member llI. This truck driving member is arranged within a socket H2 formed in ahousing H3 attached to the rear-end of the feed frame section. When themining machine is slid rearwardly in position on its transport truck, atruck driving element on the truck is adapted to enter the socket II2 toengage the truck driving member I II so that the truck wheels may bedriven by the motor of the machine through the motor pinion 35, spurgear 31 and shaft I9.

The general mode of operation of the mining machine will be clearlyapparent from the description given. To position the machine for cuttingfrom right to left in the manner shown jack located at the coal face.

diagrammatically in Fig. 9, the feed cable 06 is extended from the feeddrum 64 forwardlyalong the advancing side of the machine and around thefront guide sheave i042 to a suitable anchor The controlling or guidingcable 61 is extended directly from the controlling drum 65, laterallyand forwardly from the receding side of the machine to a suitable anchorjack located at the right hand rib. The low speed clutches 81 and 88 arethen applied to effect rotation of the drums in a direction to wind inthe cables, the feed cable 66 and the controlling cable 61 'moving themachine in an endwise direction to sump the cutter bar beneath the coaland the cable 61 controlling the sumping movement of the machine. Uponcompletion of the sumping cut, the anchor jack at the face is knockeddown and the feed cable extended from the guide sheave I04 transverselyacross the coal face to a suitable anchor jack located at the left handrib, as shown in Fig. 9, and as the cable 56 is wound in by the feeddrum 54, the machine is fed transversely across the coal face to cut ahorizontal kerf thereunder. During the transverse cutting operation, thecontrolling cable 8? that time the controlling drum is disconnected fromits drive and merely pays out the cable 51' as the machine is fedlaterally under the control of the multiple disc clutch 48, the latterat that time acting as a brake against the stationary wormwheel orso-called dead gear 46. When it is desired to wind in the controllingcable during the transverse cutting operation, the friction clutch 88may be applied to effect rotation of the controlling drum 65 in cablewinding direction, thereby to swing the machine to vary the angularposition of the cutter bar with respect to the coal face. Uponcompletion of the transverse cutting operation, the feed cable 56 isextended rear- Wardly to an anchor jack located at the rear end of themachine, and as the feed Winding drum is rotated in a direction to windin the feed cable, the machine is moved rearwardly with respect to thecoal face to withdraw the cutter bar from beneath the coal. The machinemay be fed rapidly over the mine floor by either of the cable windingdrums under the control of the high speed clutches 39 and 40. Duringcutting from left to right, as showndiagrammatically in Fig. 10, thecable 61 is extended from the drum 65 around the guide sheave IOI andthe. front guide sheave I05, laterally from the machine to an anchorjack located at the right hand rib, while the cable 65 is extended fromthe drum 64 around the rear guide sheave I02 and laterally from themachine to a suitable anchor 'jack located at the left hand rib, thedrum 65 at that time acting as a feed drum, while the drum 64 acts as acontrolling drum. The machine is sumped in, fed transversely across theface and withdrawn from the face in the same manner as that describedabove in regard to the right to left cutting operation. Of course, whenit is desired to change the direction of cutting, it is necessary toreverse the motor, reverse the position of the cutter bits of the cutterchain, and rearrange the cables on the drums. Other uses and advantagesof the improved mining machine feeding mechanism will be clearlyapparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically guides the machine, itbeing understood'thatat described one form which the invention mayassume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same isshown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may bemodified and embodied in various other forms without departing from itsspirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mining machine feeding and controlling mechanism, feed operatingand controlling members respectively adapted to cooperate directly withflexible feeding and controlling connections, and operating andcontrolling means for said members for effecting rotation of the latterin one direction including self-locking worm gearings individual to eachof said members, means for driving either of said worm gearings at willirrespective of the drive of the other,

and friction devices for connecting said members members respectivelyadapted to cooperate directly with flexible feeding and controllingmembers, and operating and controlling means for said members foreifecting rotation of the latter in one direction including atransmission mechanism for each member through which it, but not theother member is driven, one transmission mechanism including elementsdriven through an element of the other transmission mechanism, saidtransmission mechanisms including selflocking worm gearings individualto each of said members and means for effecting drive of either of saidworm gearings irrespective of the drive of the other, and frictiondevices for connecting said members for drive by their respective wormgearings when the latter are driven and for brakingly connecting saidmembers to said worm gearings when the latter are not driven to providea controlled reverse rotation of said members.

3. In a mining machine feeding mechanism, the combination withrelatively rotatable feed operating and controlling members respectivelyadapted to cooperate directly with flexible feeding and controllingelements, of motor operated means for independently rotating saidmembers in a direction to draw in their respective flexible elementsincluding a separate transmission mechanism for each member throughwhich it, but not the other member, is driven, each transmissionmechanism comprising a gear train, selflocking worm gearing, a clutchfor rendering said gear train effective to drive said worm gearing, anda friction clutch for connecting said worm gearing to its respectivemember, said friction clutch for said controlling member operative toact as a friction drag brake for said controlling member when said firstmentioned clutch of said controlling-member-transmission is released andwhile said feed operating member is being rotated in a direction to drawin its cooperating flexible element through its respective transmissionwithout releasing the friction clutch of the latter, said drag brakeacting to brake rotation of said controlling member in a direction topay out its cooperating flexible element and said worm gearingassociated with said controlling member acting as a stationary reactionmeans for said drag brake.

4. In a mining machine feeding mechanism, the combination withrelatively rotatable feed operating and controlling members respectivelyadapted to cooperate directly with flexible feeding and controllingelements, of motor operated means for independently rotating saidmembers at either high or low speeds in a direction to draw in theirrespective flexible elements inc1ud-' ing a separate plural speedtransmission mechanism for each member through which it, but not theother member, is driven, each transmission mechanism comprising high andlow speed gear trains, self-locking worm gearing driven through saidgear trains, clutches for selectively rendering said gear trainseffective to drive said worm gearing, and a friction clutch forconnecting said worm gearing in driving relation with its respectivemember, said friction clutch for said controlling member operative toact as a friction drag brake for variably controlling rotation of saidcontrolling member when said first-mentioned clutches of saidcontrolling-membertransmission are released and while said feedoperating member is being rotated in a direction to draw in itscooperating flexible element through its transmission mechanism withoutreleasing the friction clutch of the latter, said drag brake acting tobrake rotation of said controlling member in a direction to pay out itscooperating flexible element and said worm gearing associated with saidcontrolling member acting as a stationary reaction, means for said dragbrake.

5. In a mining machine feeding mechanism, the combination withrelatively rotatable feed operating and controlling members respectivelyadapted to cooperate With'feeding and controlling elements, of motoroperated means for independently rotating'said members including aseparate transmission for each member through which it, but not theother member, is driven, each transmission mechanism including a geartrain, a clutch for rendering said gear train effective to drive itsrespective member, self-locking worm gearing, and a friction clutch forcon necting said worm gearing to its respective mem ber, the clutch ofthe gear train and the friction clutch of said feed operating memberbeing connectible to effect drive of the latter while the clutch of thegear train of the controlling memher is released and said frictionclutch for the controlling member being operable to act as a frictiondrag brake for frictionally resisting rotation of said controllingmember while the clutch of its gear train is released and its gear trainis continuously driven but disconnected from its worm gearing by itsclutch, said worm gearing of said controlling member acting as astationary reaction means for the drag brake at that time.

JOSEPH F. JOY. CORNELIUS G. BOUDETTE.

